feet to prepare for the next double pole. Maintain a consistent ankle bend as Todd does throughout the cycle to improve your balance and to ride a quiet ski. As need and conditions change, adapt your double pole. When you have less glide, or want faster acceleration, keep your elbows bent at the end of the pole push. Recover your poles quickly by lifting your elbows up from your hips. For maximum power when starting from a stop or climbing steeper hills, plant your poles at a greater angle to the snow. From the moment your baskets hit the snow, more of your push will push you forward. As glide increases, you need less power at the beginning of your stroke, so plant your poles at a straighter angle and flex less at the knees and waist to save energy. This is the traditional rest and recovery double pole. To get more power out of this variety, lean forward from your ankles to initiate the pull on your poles with a bent elbow and keep them bent throughout the crunch at the waist before extending your arms to complete the push.

Steve Hindman lives and skis in the Pacific Northwest. Look for his new book, Cross-Country Skiing: Fun, Fitness, and Adventure to be released in the fall of 2005.